The blog for Leveltek International LLC: Stretching Metals with New Technology

Ghosts of Pittsburghs Past

With Leveltek based in Benwood, WV, and our obvious, long-time connection to the steel industry, we’ve always had a kinship and interest in nearby Pittsburgh, PA, the city that was once the beating heart of global steel production. About a year ago, a set of photos showing Pittsburgh during the early 1940s, the period between maximum steel production kicking into high gear and environmental safeguards being instituted, starting appearing on the Internet. The pictures are genuinely haunting, showing a city that’s alive and vibrant and completely swaddled in the smoke and soot from the steel mills. They look like something out of some lost Humphrey Bogart film, or like production art from “Blade Runner.” In short, they’re amazing, and we want to share some of them here, since they’re a nostalgic reminder of a time when steel was king in our area. Enjoy!